German Finance Ministry’s Decision to Provide Eight Staff Members to Former Chancellor Olaf Scholz Faces Criticism from Opposition
The German Finance Ministry’s decision to provide eight staff members to former Chancellor Olaf Scholz has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition. The AfD parliamentary group’s leader, Stephan Brandner, expressed his dismay, stating that the AfD is “entirely perplexed” by the decision, which he believes is a continuation of the excessive provision of staff for former chancellors, a practice that has been prevalent since the time of Angela Merkel. According to Brandner, three staff members and a driver are reasonable for a former chancellor, but the provision of eight staff members for someone who did not complete a full term in office is unclear and constitutes a waste of taxpayers’ money.
The Left party’s parliamentary group also expressed skepticism about the decision, with Christian Görke, the first parliamentary manager, stating that the offices for former chancellors should be dissolved and that they should only be allowed to use a minimal-staffed office to wrap up their affairs after leaving office. Görke emphasized that “normal people” are suffering from rising prices and a poor economy and that “opulent privileges” for former chancellors cannot simply continue.
The other parliamentary groups, including the Union and the Greens, have declined to comment on the issue. The SPD, Scholz’s party, has also chosen not to comment, stating that the decision will be left unremarked upon by the faction.
The non-profit organization Abgeordnetenwatch has also expressed concerns about the decision, stating that it is legitimate to provide former chancellors with personal support for their post-office duties, but that this should be done in a transparent and proportionate manner. The organization believes that the Finance Ministry’s justification for the decision, citing the special circumstances of Scholz’s term, is too vague and that the lack of legal provisions for the staffing of former chancellors is a structural problem that needs to be addressed.
The decision was revealed after a letter from the Finance Ministry to the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag, which showed that Scholz would be provided with a staff of eight in the future. The Ministry of Finance did not respond to a question about whether the decision was made at the request of Scholz or the Ministry itself.